Draining floodwater will take 3-6 months, says Sindh CM

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said on Sunday that three to six months will be required to drain water from the province’s flood-hit areas, Aaj News reported.

Speaking to the media in Karachi, he said flooding and rainfall have destroyed everything in the province.

“In some areas, there is at least eight to 10 feet of water. Even in places where it is receding, the situation is not such that people can return,” he said.

The Sindh CM said that the province was facing a shortage of tents and medicines, adding that he had raised the issue with the UN chief during his recent visit.

Guterres aghast at ‘climate carnage’ on such a scale

Shah said that flooding has destroyed the province's agriculture sector. “Around 350 billion rupees’ losses to the farmers are being reported in the province,” he said.

He said that at least 12.5 million people were affected by the disaster, adding that the government was working on a plan for their rehabilitation.

Talking about the power load shedding in scorching weather in Karachi, the chief minister said, "we have taken up the issue with the premier and the power division because we are not satisfied with the performance of the power supply companies."

Nearly 1,400 people have died in flooding that covers an area the size of the United Kingdom and has wiped out crops and destroyed homes, businesses, roads and bridges.

Of the 1,396 fatalities countrywide, 578 people have died in Sindh province.

Earlier, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he has “never seen climate carnage” on such a scale as he toured parts of Pakistan hit by floods, blaming wealthier countries for the devastation.

“I have seen many humanitarian disasters in the world, but I have never seen climate carnage on this scale,” he said at a press conference in the port city of Karachi on Saturday after witnessing the worst of the damage in southern Pakistan.

Guterres also strongly urged international creditors to introduce a new mechanism ‘Debt Swap’ for the devastated flood-hit Pakistan.

Speaking at a press conference held at Karachi airport, UN Secretary-General said that developing countries including middle-income countries like Pakistan are facing difficult financial conditions and we have seen ‘default’ in some cases. Therefore it is essential to develop a new mechanism by the international creditors for repayment, he said.